Jose Mourinho may have been welcomed back to Chelsea and England with open
arms, but he leaves Real Madrid with a spiteful parting shot from
Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta, who claimed that he damaged Spanish football.

Mourinho will be presented to the media as Chelsea’s new manager on Monday inside Stamford Bridge’s Harris Suite, a return to the Premier League that has been widely applauded, even by some of those who were not sorry to see him leave six years ago.

The Portuguese has never hidden his love for the English game, repeatedly revealing that he missed its passion, honesty and intensity while at both Inter Milan and Real Madrid, and his second coming has generated excitement and anticipation far beyond Stamford Bridge.

However, he departs Spain with his reputation soured, unable to deliver the holy grail of the Champions League or end Barcelona’s domestic dominance. While he may have won La Liga for Real Madrid last season, he leaves this term without silverware and, it seems, few in Spain are sorry to see the back of him.

Madrid’s rivalry with Barcelona has always been intense and occasionally toxic, but it took on new levels of animosity during Mourinho’s time at the Bernabéu and Iniesta could not resist taking a swipe at him as he headed back to London.

“You just have to look at the facts,” Iniesta said in an interview with El Pais. “Yes, he damaged Spanish football, in general more harm than good. But I don’t like talking about that person at all. So if you don’t mind we’ll leave it at that.”

Tellingly, Iniesta is on international duty with Spain, where he lines up alongside Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos.

Mourinho’s decline at Madrid was partly attributed to the breakdown in his relationship with Casillas and Ramos – the two most influential personalities in the Real dressing room. The 50-year-old also clashed increasingly frequently with the Spanish media and accused certain journalists of “hating him”.

In turn, some Madrid fans openly jeered him last season as his reign unravelled.

However, for all of his faults and arrogance, Mourinho has always been more likely to entertain than infuriate on these shores.

After a hugely successful first spell at Chelsea which brought two Premier League titles and the FA Cup, Mourinho’s return has spiced up a title contest that was in danger of becoming a bland Manchester affair between United and City.

Given the ability of Spain’s big two, and increasingly Germany’s Bayern Munich, to lure the world’s best players away from Premier League clubs, Mourinho’s decision to come back to England has boosted the division’s self-esteem. However, it does not look like another Portuguese star will be following in his footsteps.

Cristiano Ronaldo has also been linked with a return, most notably with former club Manchester United and Chelsea. But Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez says he is confident that Ronaldo intends to stay at the Bernabéu and sign a new long-term contract.

“I am going to be as clear as possible,” Pérez said. “My aim, Cristiano’s aim, and the aim of all Real Madrid fans is that he carries on playing here for many years to come.

“When so many people want the same thing, then it usually turns out to be the case. I myself and Real Madrid both want that. The player, Cristiano Ronaldo, also wants that. Without a shadow of a doubt, that is what Cristiano wants, too.

“We are always talking with him. If you are asking me if we’ve talked about money, then the answer is no because the time isn’t right yet. That will have to wait until after he comes back from holiday.”

Mourinho will have much to do over the next few weeks. Given Chelsea’s £50 million pursuit of Napoli striker Edinson Cavani, he must decide whether Fernando Torres has a future at the club, particularly as the Spaniard is adamant that he wants to remain in west London.

There are also question marks surrounding Demba Ba’s future. The Senegal international signed from Newcastle United for £7 million in January, but his place in the squad appears to be under threat from Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgian impressed on loan at West Bromwich Albion last season and Lukaku declared over the weekend that he had already spoken to Mourinho and been assured he would “play for Chelsea next season.”